


A heart of steel starts to grow

by hybristophilica



Category: Kuroko no Basuke | Kuroko's Basketball
Genre: Boundaries, Domestic Fluff, Fluff, Gender Dysphoria, Genderfluid Character, Healthy Relationships, Hurt/Comfort, Mild Hurt/Comfort, Nonbinary Character, Other, Polyamory
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-05
Updated: 2020-11-05
Packaged: 2021-03-09 02:28:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,507
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27407332
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hybristophilica/pseuds/hybristophilica
Summary: “Love, what happened? Why are you crying?” Akashi closed the book, stretching his legs on the bed when his cat jumped in his lap.Ryouta cleared their throat before speaking. “I’m not having…the best night."
Relationships: Akashi Seijuurou/Aomine Daiki, Akashi Seijuurou/Aomine Daiki/Kise Ryouta, Akashi Seijuurou/Kise Ryouta, Aomine Daiki/Kise Ryouta
Comments: 11
Kudos: 36





	A heart of steel starts to grow

**Author's Note:**

  * For [bisexualhotchner](https://archiveofourown.org/users/bisexualhotchner/gifts), [izukillme](https://archiveofourown.org/users/izukillme/gifts).



> first of all, thank you to vee and ceru, the little demons that inspired me for this, this one's for you
> 
> second, kise is non-binary and goes by they/them most times, while akashi is genderfluid and goes by he/him. they're in a poliamorous relationship with aomine, who loves and supports them both 
> 
> enjoy!

Aomine’s snort on the other side of the bed made them flinch. They were as tense as a bow string for reason he had nothing to do with. Kise looked at him, sleeping shirtless in their bed, with the post-sex sweaty hair still sticking to his forehead. He looked so beautiful like that, without that constant frown weighting on his expression and the wrinkles of worry and anxiety that often darkened what could be the brightest smile Kise had ever seen. They leaned closer to him, placing a fleeting kiss on his cheek, and slowly stepped out of bed. 

Slipping their robe on, Kise went out on the balcony of their bedroom, half closing the glass door behind. The chilly air of the night sent a violent shiver down their spine, or maybe it was just them reaching their limit. They held the railing with both hands, freezing in cold, and started breathing heavily, shutting their eyes close. Now, out of Aomine’s sight, they could let go. They knew he would always accept them no matter what, just like Akashi would, but the two of them were different. There was still a part of Kise that rejected the idea of letting Aomine see him weak, at his lowest. They didn't like it and they were trying to change it, step by step, but in nights like this, nights were a wrong comment under his photoshoot’s pictures could send them into a spiral of self doubt and esteem, Kise couldn’t find that kind of comfort in him.

They slipped their hand in the pocket of the robe, wrapping it around their phone. There were tears prickling at the corners of their eyes as they exhaled in the attempt to calm themself. Then, before they could change their mind, Kise texted Akashi. ‘ _Are you awake? Can I call?’._ It was a selfish request to do, especially so late at night, but Akashi was the only person they trusted enough with this, the only one beside Aomine that would always, _always_ , have their back.

Akashi didn't even give them the time to dial his number that he was calling them. Kise wiped away the tear that accidentally slipped down their cheek, and eventually accepted the call, drawing a deep breath. “Akashicchi.”

—— 

Akashi was reading in bed when he received Ryouta’s text. It startled him a little, if he was honest. They and Daiki had gone out on a date that night, and Akashi assumed Daiki was spending the night at their house, like it often happened. So why did they sound so desperate in their text? Akashi took no chances, and decided to call them right away. The broken voice that answered pierced right through him. 

“Love, what happened? Why are you crying?” He closed the book, stretching his legs on the bed when his cat jumped in his lap.

Ryouta cleared their throat before speaking. “I’m not having…the best night.”

“Why’s that?” Akashi asked calmly, knowing that the last thing Ryouta needed right now was to feel more pressure on their shoulders. He needed to make them feel comfortable. 

“I was— I was reading comments again.”

Akashi sighed, tapping on the folds of the sheets underneath his palms. “You know you shouldn’t, my love. Did they make you feel bad…about yourself?”

“Yeah,” came the soft whimper, and Akashi felt for them. Accepting their identity had been harder for Kise than it had been for him. It had been a long process that took them years and a lot of work on the self to come to the point they were at now. Akashi had witnessed them grow more confident in their body and identity, and he was proud of the person they were right now, he was proud of how brave they’d been. 

“Akashicchi— I never know if…i-if it’s normal to feel like this. A-and I don’t mean, you know, me be-being who I am. I mean, feeling so…so _shit_ when someone else doesn’t acknowledge it. Why do I feel this way every time?!” 

Akashi squeezed the sheets in his fist, taking a slow breath. It wasn’t easy to remain calm when the voice of one of the two persons you would die for sounded so pained. “You have the right to feel the way you do, Ryouta,” Akashi started, “And no matter what people say, you are _you_. Daiki knows, I know, and you must know too. Everything else is irrelevant.”

“Why is it so easy for you? Don’t you ever feel like you want to…want to…I don’t know, explode?! I’m— feeling too much right now.” They were panting, and Akashi swallowed, slightly worried. 

“Are you home? Is Daiki there with you?”

“Yeah we’re home. He’s sleeping, I’m on the balcony. Needed some air.” 

That explained why they’d texted him instead than talking to Daiki. Also, both of them knew Daiki couldn’t understand what they felt. He tried, he tried so hard it was cute, and they both appreciated that of him, but sometimes he just wasn’t the right person for this kind of talk. 

“And are you feeling better outside?” Akashi tried, caressing the white fur of the little demon resting on his legs.

“Barely,” Ryouta replied, then exhaled sharply, whimpering. “Am I fucked up?”

Akashi sat straight against the pillows at the words. “Don’t you dare say that again, Ryouta. Not even as joke. There is nothing wrong with the way you feel, or in the way words make you feel. You are so valid, my love, I wish you could see yourself the way Daiki and I see you,” he said softly but with conviction, needing his point to get across. 

Ryouta sniffled on the other side of the phone and they were silent for a while after that. Not a bad sign. Akashi heard them sniff and swallow, then they took a deep breath. “Do you love me anyway?”

Akashi smiled at that, looking down. “More than anything.”

“…Good,” Ryouta said a last, and Akashi was relieved to hear them slightly calmer than before, more collected. “It’s better if I go back now. I’ll try to sleep it off, I guess.”

“Yes, some rest will do you good. Sleep well, Ryouta.”

“You too, you too. And— thank you,” Ryouta muttered, closing the call soon after. Akashi sighed, putting phone and book away as he turned the light of the nightstand off and slid under the blanket, signing in relief. Ryouta was stronger than they thought, they would be fine. They all would be. 

——

Aomine woke up because the cold draft coming from the glass door of the balcony sent shivers all along his chest and arms. He rubbed his eyes, shaking, and reached out for the first shirt he found palpating the chair beside the bed in the dark. When he turned around to lay down again, he found the bed empty. 

Aomine jumped out of bed with a wave of anxiety, stumbling on his feet to turn the lights on. “Kise?”

“I’m here,” they replied, coming from the balcony and shutting the door close. “I’m sorry, did I wake you?”

Aomine walked to them, noticing the red rimmed eyes and ignoring their question. He cupped their face in both hands, resisting when Kise tried to pull away. “What happened?” 

Kise looked looked down, slowly leaning into the touch of Aomine’s thumb caressing their cheeks. “Bad night.” 

“…Wanna talk about it? Can I help?” He asked, not sure what this was all about. He just knew that the sorrowful expression on Kise’s face was something he didn't want to witness at nigh, or ever. 

“Not really baby, no. But I talked with Akashicchi just now, I’m a little better,” Kise said, grabbing Aomine’s wrist to make him let go. 

“You could have woken me, y’know,” he said then, maybe a tiny bit defensive. He knew Akashi was the most reliable for talking about certain matters, but he still wanted Kise to know they could count on him too.

Kise pulled him back to bed, and Aomine slid under the covers with them, pensive as he turned the lights off. He held their hand, squeezing reassuringly, and Kise smiled, leaning close to kiss him on the lips. “I know. But I didn’t want to, and right now I just…want to sleep.”

“Sure. Whatever you need.” Aomine wrapped one arm across their middle to pull them against his chest, and then kissed their forehead, lips lingering there to just let Kise _feel_ what they needed to. They squeezed his arm and whimpered, and Aomine only held them tighter, brushing their hair back soothingly. “I love you, y’know,” he added a bit sarcastically, but he meant it. 

Kise nodded against his shoulder, hugging him strongly. They knew they were lucky, so very lucky to be loved like that, not by one, but by two people that would do anything for them, just like Kise would for them both. They fell asleep soon after in Aomine’s arms, held tight and cherished.

**Author's Note:**

> title is from superheroes by the script
> 
> my [tumblr](https://www.tumblr.com/blog/hybristophilica) and [twitter](https://twitter.com/hybristophilica) owo


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